Cheyenne Woods misses cut at Girls Junior Championship

LAKEWOOD - Cheyenne Woods says the best advice her uncle has given her is to have fun on the golf course, no matter how she's playing.

When Tiger Woods speaks about golf, people tend to listen.

Competing in her fourth and final U.S. Girls Junior Championship at Tacoma Country & Golf Club, Tiger's niece carded a 6-over-par 78 on Tuesday. It wasn't enough to make the cut to 64 for match play, which begins today, her 17th birthday.

"I could have done a lot better," Cheyenne said. "I really didn't play that well at all. But ... I'm just happy to be here, and this is my last year (in the tournament) so I just tried to enjoy it."

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Cheyenne, who lives in Phoenix and attends Xavier College Preparatory, said it was her first time playing the Lakewood course. She said the narrow fairways, trees and speed of the greens made it difficult.

"Today, what gave me the most problems was my putting," she said.

"If I could have made a couple more putts, I would have been a little bit better. Everything else was good, you just have to really hit it straight on this course because of the trees."

Cheyenne got caught in the trees on the eighth hole, pulling her second shot to the far left. In an attempt to get out of the jam, she overshot the green and ended up in the bunker on the far side, leading to a bogey.

Even Tiger can't make par on every hole.

Cheyenne said it's fun to have a famous golfer in the family, but she feels pressure when she competes.

"People see the last name and they immediately think of Tiger," she said. "So I kind of have to live up to the name a little bit.

"I like the pressure. I think I play a little better with pressure, but it's kind of hard to live up to the expectations because Tiger's so good and it would be hard to be as good as him."

Although she doesn't see her uncle often, Cheyenne has golfed with Tiger a couple of times and he's given her pointers.

Tiger's not the only family member to show his support. Cheyenne's mother, Susan Woods, walked the course with her Tuesday, watching her daughter's every stroke.

"This wasn't one of her best rounds," Susan said. "She needs a break for a couple of days."

Cheyenne has been busy this summer, playing in five tournaments so far. She placed second in the Bill Dickey Invitational, her best finish of the season. Last week, she played in a tournament in California, where her back began to give her problems. It was still bothering her Tuesday.

"I don't know what it is, but when I swing I can feel it," she said. "It was kind of irritating me today. "I couldn't go after the ball the way I wanted to, but I don't want to make any excuses."

Woods did end the day on a good note. On her final hole, she sank a long putt for her first birdie of the day, drawing applause from the crowd.

"That's the way to finish," Susan Woods said.

U.S. Girls Junior Golf Championship

Where: At Tacoma Country & Golf Club in Lakewood

Course: 6,391 yards, par 72

Tuesday: Second round of stroke play. Of the 156 girls who started Monday, 64 made the cut on Tuesday at 7-over-par 151.

Leader: After her 10-under-par 62 on Monday, Kimberly Kim of Hilo, Hawaii said she didn't care if she shot "10 over" in the next round - only that she made the cut. She shot an even-par 72 in front of a 75-person gallery Tuesday to take medalist honors (10-under 134).

Locals: Puyallup's Sadena Parks, a Bethel High School student, shot a 4-over 76 but missed the cut by two strokes (153), tying for 72nd. Burien's Stephanie Corey shot an 85 to finish 150th (25-over 169). No in-state golfer made the cut.

Tee times today: Match play begins at 7 a.m. (first round) and 1 p.m. (second round) off the first tees.